Multi-contact relay



May 13, 1958 A. MEHLIS 2,834,849

MULTI-CONTACT RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1951 16o. :EI 12 1 16b 6 2 X "I n V 5/6 [O Q 5:? EEF, I So. 116 2a. B 051:

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INVENTOR A aTHuR Man-(us ATTORNEY May 13, 1958 A. MEHLIS MULTI-CQNTACT RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 16, 1951 INVENTOR v AETHUR Menus ATTORNEY MULTI-CUNTACT RELAY Arthur Mehlis, Stuttgart-Zuitenhausen, Wurttemberg- Baden, Germany, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to an improvement in multicontact relays, and more particularly to the type which are used for communication purposes. As the name implies, such a relay has a plurality of contacts which are in excess of the maximum number of contacts ordinarily considered feasible by engineers in the communications field in a circular or a fiat type relay.

The object of this invention is to provide a multicontact relay which is economical to manufacture in quantity. Known multi-contact relays have required considerable adjusting work to be done to the contact springs all of which require considerable time and the labor cost required for such adjustment added to the expense of the relay.

One of the features of this invention resides in dispensing with individual adjustment of the tension of the several contact springs. This feature is achieved by arranging the movable contact springs in an array each of the contacts having its longitudinal axis in a common plane, without pretensioning said springs, said springs receiving their operating contact pressure by a single contact operating member mounted on a plurality of pretensioned resilient elements. One of the advantages realized from the construction of a relay in accordance with this invention lies in the fact that the arrays of contact springs may be manufactured as an integral stamping, to be molded into position and after to be separated into individual units without the necessity of any further individual contact spring tensioning adjustment.

Another feature of this invention resides in the use of a single contact spring guiding bar running across the contact springs and supported conveniently at both ends of the contact spring array by pretensioned supporting springs lying in the same plane as the contact springs, said guiding bar adapted to engage the contact springs from both sides thereof in the directions of their movement and which movement is normal to said plane.

Still another object of the invention is to achieve a flat, compact inulti-relay wherein the longitudinal axis of the contact springs are normal to the longitudinal axis of the electromagnet.

A further object of the invention lies in the embedding of the movable contact springs of the fixed contacts into insulated members in such a configuration that only the ends or contact points of the movable contact springs and their associated fixed contacts are opposite each other.

For many circuit applications it is desirable to utilize a two-step relay which may be defined as a relay which is partially energized suflicient to close a set of auxiliary contacts upon the first stroke of the armature and which is adapted to close the contact springs only after the relay has been fully energized. To enable the realization of two-step operation, the armature is provided with a curved portion so that upon partial energization of the electromagnet, the armature operates the set of auxiliary contacts only.

.. htates Patent ice Other features and advantages will appear from the description of the invention taken in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of the relay;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2 looking from the left end thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the relay with parts broken away.

Referring now to the drawing, electromagnet 1 is mounted to base plate 2. Plate 2 is provided with a plurality of bolt holes 2a near the ends thereof through which holes bolts may be inserted to mount the relay in a relay rack (not shown). Plate 2 is of electromagnetic material and acts as the yoke of the magnetic circuit and completes the magnetic path between the core of electromagnet 1 and armature 3. The plate 2 is provided with a pair of spaced apertures 2c and 2d. Armature 3 is curved at 5 so as to have a portion extending through aperture 2c in proximity of the core electromagnet 3 and pivots over the edge of aperture 2c which edge lies nearest aperture 2d. Armature 3 has another curved portion 3a containing a reverse curve and which portion extends within aperture 2d. Connecting portion 4 of the armature covers that portion of plate 2 which lies between apertures 20 and 2d.

Armature 3 is provided with a slot 6, the purpose of which will be described later. A spring 7 and an auxiliary contact pile-up 8 are mounted on the side of plate 2 opposite to the side on which the electromagnet 1 is mounted, in such position that the spring '7 normally abuts against the reversed curve portion 3a of the armature to maintain it within the slot 205 and so that the portion 4 of the armature is normally held against the plate when the electromagnet is deencrgized.

There is further provided a pair of angle bars 9 and 10 fixed to the top and bottom edges respectively of plate 2 as shown clearly in Fig. 4. These angle bars are fastened to plate 2 by means of suitable threaded fastenings 2b, only one of which is visible in Fig. 4. Bars 9 and 10 serve as supports for a pair of insulating members 12 and 19, respectively. Angle bars 9 and 10 and plate 2 form a U-shaped structure, the plate forming the connecting portion of the U and each of the angle bars 9 and 10 forming the arms thereof.

Movable contact springs 13 are embedded in insulating member 19 and are arranged in an array in a single plane parallel to the axis of the electromagnet, the longitudinal axis of each contact spring being in a common plane.

When it is desired that the multi-contact relay be utilized as a four-wire selector switch, the contact springs will number 44, a group of 4 springs being assigned to each of 10 incoming lines while the remaining 4 contacts are available for extra control purposes within a switching exchange, such for instance, as a telephone exchange.

Each of the movable contacts 13 extend through the insulating member 19 and are provided with a contact making portion 23a and a connecting portion 14a or 14b and to which last mentioned portions wires may be soldered or otherwise affixed. It will be noted that the end of alternate of the movable contact springs 13 are bent at an identical angle 14a and that intervening springs are bent at a difierent angle 14b. This layout of the connecting ends of the springs 13 may be clearly seen in Fig. 4. The staggered placement of adjacent springs permits vertical bar-wire strapping of vertical groups of all-relay selectors composed of a plurality of multi-contact relays of which the relay shown is one.

An array of fixed contacts 15 are embedded in the insulating member 12 in a common plane and have their contact ends 15a extending through the member 12 in proximity to the contact ends 13a of the movable contacts 13.

The common plane of the ends 15a of the 'fixed contacts is parallel to the plane of themovable contacts 13 but.

is spaced therefrom a distance. equal to the amount of movement of the movable contacts upon energization of the electromagnet. Fixed contacts 15 are provided with ends of different lengths so that alternate of the fixed contacts have longer ends 16a than the intervening contacts which have shorter ends 161). The staggering of the ends 16a and 16b readily permit horizontal bar-wire strapping of several multi-contact relays when arranged in a horizontal row. It will be noted that the connection ends of the fixed contacts extend toward one side of the relay and the connection ends 14a, 14b of the movable contacts extend toward the other side of the relay. This isolation tends to reduce the possibility of accidental connection between horizontal and vertical strapping wires. By referring to Fig. 4 one can see how the ends 16:: and 16b of the fixed contacts are insulated from each other by means of the comb-like edge 17 which maintains each end in a fixed position relative to the adjacent contact end. A similar comb-like edge may be provided for insulating member 19 if desired.

A common actuating bar 18 extends transversely of the movable contact array and is mounted at either end thereof upon leaf springs 11. Springs 11 are mounted in insulating member 19 at either end of the movable contact array and their mounted ends are similarly disposed in the common plane of the movable contacts. The actuating bar 18 is provided with slots 18a and, Within which slots the movable contacts 13 are inserted. The springs 11 are pretensioned to normally urge the bar 18 in a direction toward the surface of plate 2. Bar 1'8- is adapted to lie within the slot 6 of the armature 3. The over-all distance from the surface of plate 2 to the outer ends of the insulating members 12 and 19 is thereby decreased since the guide bar 18 may nest closely against plate 2. The portion 3a of armature 3 which lies deepest within the aperture 2d, is adapted to actuate auxiliary contacts in pile-up 8 upon partial energization of the electromagnet, as the armature continues to move upon complete energization of the electromagnet the end of the slot 6 will abut against guide bar 18and urge it outwardly away from the surface of plate 2 and causing each ofthe movable contacts 13 to coactwith its corresponding fixed contact. The operation just defined corresponds to twostep relay operation. sion necessary and no individual adjustment of the tension of movable springs 13 is required since each movable spring is maintained in alignment with the other springs in the array by means of the slots 18a in the guide bar 18. The contacting ends of movable springs 1-3 may be bifurcated. Upon deenergization of the electromagnet 1, the tension of springs 11 urge guide bar 18 in a direction toward the surface of plate 2 and armature 3 again accommodates bar 18 within its slot 6 and the curved portion 3a of the armature again recedes within the confines of aperture 2d. It will thus be seen that springs 11 furnish positive tension to return the movable contacts to their normal position.

A pair of slots 19a and 12a are provided in insulating members 19 and 12 respectively, adjacent the long edge thereof, both slots being in register. The slots are intermediate the edges of the insulating members and the contact arrays. A piece of transparent plastic material 20 may be inserted in said slots. A pair of additional slots 1% and 12b (not shown) are also provided in the insulating members 19 and 12, respectively, which slots are adjacent the narrow edges of the insulating members and are transverse to the slots 19a and 12a. The transverse slots permit the insertion of end transparent strips 21 and the inclusion of the three (3) transparent strips Springs 11 provide all the preten- 4 provide a dust inhibiting shield. The operation of the contacts may be readily observed through the strip 20 and the strip may be withdrawn for contact servicing purposes.

It will be understood that relays of the type disclosed may be arranged on a rack above and alongside each other so that multiple connections to similar switches may be made.

While I have described above the principles of my in vention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A flat multi-contact relay comprising a mounting base having an aperture therethrough, an electromagnet mounted on one side of said base intermediate the ends thereof, an array of fixed contacts mounted on the other side of said base adjacent a first edge thereof, an array of movable contacts mounted on said base adjacent an opposite edge thereof, each of said movable contacts having its longitudinal axis in a common plane, each adapted to cooperate with a corresponding one of said fixed contacts, single contact-operating means disposed between said base and said movable contact array, resilient means coupled to said contact operating means for normally causing said contact operating means to abut against said base, an armature actuating means responsive to energization of said electromagnet, said armature being pivoted about an axis parallel to said plane within said aperture and said armature having a portion overlying said base on the opposite side from said electromagnet, said portion being engageable with said contact operating means transversely to said axis when said contact operating means is in abutment with said base against the tension of said resilient means upon energization of said electromagnet to cause movement of said movable contacts in a direction normal to said plane.

2. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact operating means comprises a guiding bar running transverse of and engaging said movable contacts from both sides thereof.

3. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a pair of leaf springs, each disposed at opposite ends of said movable contact row.

4. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of said electromagnet is parallel to a line normal to the longitudinal axes of said movable contacts.

5. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base is provided with a pair of spaced apertures therethrough, said actuating means having a first portion extending through a first one of said apertures and having a second portion arranged to pivot upon the portion of said plate separating said apertures.

6. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 5, wherein said actuating means comprises an armature having a curved portion, said portion adapted to normally extend into a second oneof said apertures and adapted to contact said contact operating means after a predetermined amount of movement thereof out of said aperture upon energization of said electromagnet.

7. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 6, wherein said armature comprises a curved portion, a flux carrying portion and a connecting portion, said connecting portion connecting said curved portion and said fluxcarrying portion, said connecting portion having a slot cut therein, said slot adapted to freely accommodate said contact operating means.

8. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base further comprises a plate, a pair of insulating members, means to attach each of said members to opposite edges of said plate, one end of each of said fixed contacts firmly atfixed to one of said insulating members and 5 one end of each of said movable contacts firmly aflixed to the other of said insulating members.

9. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said movable contacts has a free operating end extending out from one surface of a first of said insulating members and has a terminal end extending out from another surface of said insulating member.

10. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said fixed contacts has an operating end extending out from one surface of a second of said insulating members and has a terminal end extending out from another surface of said insulating member.

11. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting base is of paramagnetic material, said base forming part of the magnetic flux path of said electromagnet.

12. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is further provided a group of auxiliary contacts mounted on the other side of said base intermediate said contact arrays and said base, said contacts under control of the curved portion of said armature said contacts adapted to be operated directly by said armature before actuation of said movable contact array by said contactoperating means.

13. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 12,

wherein the curved portion of said armature is provided with two actuating surfaces, said first surface adapted to actuate said auxiliary contact group and said second surface adapted to actuate said contact-operating means.

14. A multi-contact relay as claimed in claim 1, wherein the common plane of said fixed contact array is parallel to the common plane of said movable contact array, and is separated therefrom a distance equal to the amount of movement of said movable contact array upon energization of said electromagnet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 972,814 Cadell Oct. 18, 1910 1,133,787 Babcock Mar. 30, 1915 1,318,178 Reed Oct. 7, 1919 1,579,301 Garvin Apr. 6, 1926 1,645,897 Crowe Oct. 18, 1927 2,209,214 Wallace July 23, 1940 2,315,020 Saunders et al. Mar. 30, 1943 2,327,549 Peek Aug. 24, 1943 2,421,642 Obszarny June 3, 1947 2,515,769 Graybill July 18, 1950 2,523,360 Ellwood Sept. 26, 1950 

